A NORTH-EAST teacher who teaches science to children with special needs has received a top award.

Faye James, who has worked at Evergreen Primary School, in Bishop Auckland, for four years, has been named Primary Science Teacher of the Year.

Mrs James who teaches a class of Year Five pupils with severe learning impressed judges when she filled the room with fog during her changing materials science lesson looking at solids, liquids and gases.

She has been awarded £1,000 prize money, together with £1,000 for the school and £600 for new equipment.

To help the pupils get into character, she dresses as a mad scientist with the class taking on the role of science detectives, dressed in white lab coats and goggles.

Tracey Hutchison, headteacher of Evergreen Primary said: “Faye’s lessons are fun, engaging and extremely creative. Our children are visual learners and can struggle with communication and language.

“Her lessons are very much cross-curricular with the pupils also learning new descriptive words as well as the importance of science.”

“She strongly believes children learn through their experiences and her lessons are always hands on and inspirational. We are extremely proud of her dedication and the attainment of this outstanding achievement.”

Mrs James said: “It’s all about the children and a great learning experience. Science is all around us, science is everywhere.

“To see the children really throwing themselves into science is fantastic. Parents are telling me their children are so enthusiastic they are giving them a science lesson at home which is great.”

She will be recognised during the Primary Science Teachers Awards hosted at the Association for Science Education Annual Conference in June.